Starting mechanism



March 27, 1934. w ALLEN STARTING MECHANISM Filed May 8, 1951 Patented Mar. 27, 1934 ueursn srATss STARTING MECHANISM Joseph W. Allen, East Orange, N. .L, assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 8, 1931, Serial No. 536,043

17 Claims.

This invention relates to starting mechanism for internal combustion engines and more particularly to engine starters of the inertia type.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inertia starter embodying novel means for operatively connecting the starter to the engine whereby the energy stored in the flywheel of the starter is rendered effective to start the engine.

Another object is to provide novel meshing means for an engine starter, said means being so constituted that engagement between the riving member of the starter and the driven member of the engine is effected by a snap aotion which, because of rapidity, insures a proper meshing of the driving surfaces of the two members. Thus, for example, when the meshing surfaces are in the form of teeth or jaws, the invention provides means for meshing such teeth or jaws with sufficient rapidity to virtually eliminate the possibility of only partially meshing the teeth or jaws.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an inertia starter of the type embodying manually operative means for energizing the flywheel, novel meshing means so disposed as to be readily accessible and operable by the operator upon release of the manually operable energizing means.

A further object is to provide an engine starter of the foregoing type embodying a novel construction possessing practical merit and insuring efiioiency and reliability in operation.

Other objects and advantages to be derived from the use of the invention herein disclosed reside in the interrelation and method of operation of the parts and will become apparent upon an inspection of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for such purpose to the appended claims.

in the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a device embodying the invention; and

, Fig. 2 is an elevation view taken at right angles to the viewpoint of Fig. 1, but showing only certain of the parts.

The novel engaging, or meshing, mechanism of the present invention is illustrated in com- ;bination with an inertia starter, which, in the form shown, comprises a housing constituted by an inner section 4, a central section 5, and an outer section 6. The inner section of the housing is adapted to be secured to an internal combustion engine, a portion of the crankcase of the latter being diagrammatically indicated at 6 in Fig. 1, and to this portion of the crankcase the starter is attached. The central section 5 is secured by means of bolts, as shown, to the inner housing section l, the bolts passing through openings in suitable flanges for lugs provided on the adjacent ends of said sections.

The central section 5 is attached to the outer section 6 by suitable means, which, as indicated, consists of a plurality of screws 11 threadedly engaging transversely disposed wall 12, forming part of the housing 5, and provided centrally thereof with a laterally projecting boss 13 in which is mounted a ball bearing member 14 for rotatably supporting the shaft 15, the latter being held against longitudinal movement relative to the boss 13 by suitable means to be described. Retaining discs 1'7 and 18 are preferably secured to the boss 13 by suitable means such as the bolts 19, such discs serving to maintain the bearing 14 in the proper position relative to the boss 13 and shaft 15.

Mounted on shaft 15, for rotary movement therewith, is a webbed plate or spider 21 the shaft and spider having suitable registering plane-surfaced portions for the purpose. To the spider 21 there is drivably connected, through suitable speed multiplying mechanism to be described, a flywheel or inertia member 22 having a central hub 23 rotatably supported by suitable means such as bearings 24 and 25 in a boss 26 formed on the transversely disposed partition 27 which extends across the upper portion 28 of the central section 5 of the housing, the flywheel housing 29 being preferably an extension of the inner section 4, secured to the upper portion '28 of the central section by suitable means as indicated at 30. A removable plate 31 is preferably employed to close the opposite end of the upper portion 28, the plate being preferably provided with means 32 permitting ready removal and installation of an electric motor or other driving means for the flywheel, if so desired.

Means are provided for rotating the shaft 15 at high speed, whereby energy may be stored in the flywheel for starting the engine. As shown, the inner end of shaft 15 is provided with a pinion 34, adapted to mesh with a bevel gear 35 drivably connected in a suitable manner, as indicated at 36, to a crankshaft 37 rotatably mounted by the stub shaft 65.

means of a bushing 38 and ball bearings 39 and 40 in the hub 41 formed on the inner section 6 of the housing. The outer end of shaft 37 is pro vided with suitable means, as indicated at 18, for reception of a hand crank or other turning device, the member 43 being drivably connected to shaft 37 by suitable means such as the pin A.

The means employed for drivably connecting the hand cranking means, just described, with the flywheel to be energizedforhigh speedrotationthereof, preferably comprises a system of planetary gears associated with the shaft 15 and spider 21, and operable to transmit the rotary movement of said shaft and spider to a second set of gears which are in turn drivably associated with the flywheel. The planetary gearing preferably comprises a plurality of planet gears 47 each of which is rotatably mounted on a bolt 48 threadedly secured to the spider 21 for rotary movement therewith. Each of the bolts 48 carries a sleeve 49 on which the corresponding gear 47 is rotatably supported by suitable means such as the ball bearing members 50. The bolts 48 are in turn adapted to be held in proper spaced relation to the spider 21 and bearings 50 by the provision of a retaining ring 53.

An internally toothed annular gear is preferably secured to the inner section l by screws 56 and held by pins 57 in proper meshing relation to the planets 47. In addition to meshing with the gear 55, the planets also mesh with teeth 58 preferably cut on a hub 59 extending centrally forward of gear 60, the hub 59 being freely rotatable relatively to the shaft 15 by the provision of suitable means such as the roller bearing 61, retained in position by the members 62 and 63.

From the foregoing it is apparent that rotary movement imparted to the cranking shaft 37 will 7 be transmitted at a considerably multiplied speed to the gear through the intermediary bevel gears 35 and 34., shaft 15 and spider 21, the rotation of spider 21 carrying with it the planet gears 47 which, in their rotation about the annular gear 55 mesh with and rotate the gear 58 which is preferably integral with the gear 60. Rotation of gear 60 is in turn operative to energize flywheel 22 through the instrumentality of the member 63 rotatably supported by roller bearing 64 on Shaft 65 is in turn secured to the transversely disposed partition 27 at one end and at the other end to boss 66 extending from the member 12, the shaft being held in position by suitable means such as the nut 67,

. engaging the end of the shaft.

Preferably formed integral with the member 63 are a pinion 69 and gear 70, the former being preferably of smaller diameter and meshing with the teeth of gear 60, while the latter is adapted to mesh with teeth 71, preferably formed on the circumferential surface of a shaft 72 which drivably connects with the hub 23 on the flywheel by suitable means, such as the key member 73, but also by the provision of a centrally disposed pin or rod 75 and the nuts 76 and 77 threaded to either end thereof.

When the flywheel 22 has been accelerated sufiiciently to accumulate therein the required amount of energy, the same may be delivered to the engine member to be rotated through the instrumentality of driving mechanism provided for this purpose and preferably including a clutch jaw 78 drivably connected to the engine shaft or an extension thereof, which jaw is adapted to be engaged by a similar jaw 79 driven from the flywheel 22. Normally jaw 79 is maintained out of driving engagement with jaw 78 by means to be described more fully hereinafter.

The means preferably employed for drivably connecting the clutch jaw 79 with the flywheel 22 is of a yielding character whereby slippage may occur between said jaw member and flywheel when the jaws 79and 78 are drivably engaged, and until the engine crankshaft has been brought up to the speed of jaw 79. In the form shown the yielding means is constituted by a friction clutch of the multiple disc type comprising a plurality of annular discs 81 which are alternately splined to the inner surface of a barrel 82 and to the outer surface of an interiorly threaded nut 83, and positioned between a flange 84 formed on the outer surface of nut 83 intermediate its ends and the closed end of barrel 82.

Suitable adjustable yielding means are also provided for holding nut 83 in operative position with respect to discs 81 and barrel 82, and for varying the frictional engagement of said discs. In the form shown, the yielding means comprise a plurality of coil springs 85 extending longitudinally within the barrel with their outer ends having operative engagement with flange 84 and their inner ends exerting a thrust against an annular ring 86 mounted within the barrel and provided with a plurality of laterally projecting studs 87 which extend. into the coils of springs 85, thereby maintaining them in proper spaced relation within the barrel. An adjusting nut 88 is threaded into the open end of the barrel, and has abutting engagement with the inner face of ring 86. By adjusting the position of nut 88 longitudinally of barrel 82, the compression of springs 85 may be changed to vary the pressure with which the clutch discs 81 are engaged.

Exteriorly threaded on the inner end of barrel 82 is a retaining ring 90 for the adjacent bearing 91. of a wire 92 one end of which passes through said ring and engages one of a plurality of 1ongitudinal slots formed inthe inner end of barrel 82, said ring being adapted to coact with a shoulder 94 formed on the outer end of the barrel and having engagement with the inner race of outer bearing 95, to prevent endwise movement of the barrel relative to inner housing section &. Positioned within nut 83 is exteriorly threaded shaft 96 adapted for rotary and longitudinal movement relative to said nut. The outer end of said shaft is provided with suitable means such as a nut 97 adapted to engage a shoulder formed interiorly of nut 96 to limit longitudinal movement of the shaft to the left, as viewed in the drawing. The inner end of shaft 96 is longitudinally splined and extends into the correspondingly splined hub portion 98 of engineengaging member 79, whereby these parts have positive driving engagement, but are also adapted for relative longitudinal movement. A coil spring 99 which preferably has its outer end extending into a recess formed in the inner end of shaft 96 is interposed between said shaft and the outer face of engine engaging member 79, and yieldingly resists movement of said member toward the shaft.

Means are provided for moving jaw 79 into driving engagement with jaw 78 after sufiicient energy has been stored in the flywheel 22 to start the engine. For this purpose there is provided a concentrically disposed rod 100 which slidably extends through jaw 79, threaded shaft 96, and cranking shaft section'15. Intermediate its ends rod 100 is provided with a shoulder 101 which Ring 90 may be locked in position by means normally bears against the outer end of threaded shaft 96. The inner end of rod 100 extends loosely'through a central opening in jaw 79, and threaded onto said'inner end is a nut 102 which abuts against the inner face of the hub of said jaw. Interposed between threaded shaft 96 and the hub of jaw 79 is the coil spring 99 which surrounds rod 100 and bears at its inner end against a pair of washers 103, the inner one of which is preferably formed of some flexible material such as leather. Spring 99 yieldingly resists movement of jaw 79 toward shaft 96 and also acts to yieldingly transmit the thrust exerted on member 96 to the jaw 79 when the member 96 is moved to the left in response toa corresponding movement of the rod 100, and a washer 104 serves, along with washers 103, to prevent seepage of oil from the engine crankcase into the starter housing.

From the foregoing it is apparent that upon movement of jaw 79 into engagement with engine jaw 78 by operation of the novel mechanism to be described, the energy stored in the flywheel 22 is transferred to the said jaws to cause their rotation and subsequent cranking of the engine.

The novel means for causing a snap action movement of the driving jaw 79 into engagement with the engine jaw 78 preferably comprises the provision of a pin 105 near the end of rod 100, said pin being adapted toengage the slot 106 in the lower end of shifter member 107, the latter being rigidly secured to a rockshaft 108 adapted to be oscillated in a suitable bearing provided in the boss 109 formed on the casing section 6,

as shown best in Fig. 2. A nut 111 is provided on the end of rockshaft 108 to hold the shifter member 107 in engagement with one end of the spring 113, the opposite end 110 being adapted to abut the boss 109. A notched disc 114 is also provided on rockshaft 108 and held in position thereon by suitable means such as the castellated nut 112, the notch of disc being engageable by the pawl 115 pivoted as indicated at 116 on a bracket 117 rigidly secured'to a vertically disposed plate 118, the latter being secured to the casing 6 by suitable means, as indicated at 119.

Novel means are provided for maintaining the pawl 115 in engagement with the notched member 114 and thereby holding the shifter fork 107 and rod 100 in the positions shown in Fig. 1. The tendency of torsion spring 113 is also to retain these parts in the disengaged position. As shown, such means comprises the provision of a coil spring 120 engageable with the other end of pawl 115 and anchored to the bracket 128 which is in turn suitably secured to the plate 118. The bracket 128 is further provided with an aperture through which extends a vertically disposed rod 125 having a collar 127 thereon, against whichcollar 2. spring 129 normally acts to maintain'the rod 125 in the normal position, indicated at Fig. l, the lower end of the spring being seated upon the rounded head of a lever 130 preferably formed integral with the notched member 114. A handle 126 is provided on the lower end of the rod 125 to facilitate actuation thereof when it is desired to move the jaw 79 into engagement with the engine jaw 78. 1

The operation of the novel meshing means is as follows:

After the flywheel has been sufliciently energized through manual rotation of the member 43 and the means previously described, the operator exerts a downward pull on handle 126 of rod 125, thereby compressing spring 129 until collar 127 strikes the outer end of pawl 115 whereupon the pawl is swung out of locking engagement with the notched member 11 1. Upon such release of the pawl, the spring 129' operates upon arm 130 to whip the shifter fork 107 and rod 100 to the left, against the action of spring 113, as viewed in Fig. 1. This snap action insures engagement of the teeth of jaw 79 with those of jaw 78 at a suflicient rate of speed to virtually eliminate the possibility of only partial mesh therebetween.

As a result of the driving engagement thus effected by the jaws 79 and 78, the energy previously stored in the flywheel 22 is transferred to the engine member 78 through the gear reduction and yielding clutch mechanism previously described, to turn over the engine member 78 at a greatly reduced speed, but at a correspondingly increased torque. Upon starting of the engine under its own power, the resultant excessive speed of the member 78 with respect to the rotary speed of the jaw 79 causes the-latter to be forced back to the position indicated in Fig. 1, and the concurrent counter-clockwise oscillation of the notched member 114 permits the return of pawl 115'to locking relation therewith, as indicated in Fig. 1, the operator having meanwhile released the rod 125 to permit the return of the pawl 115 by action of spring 120.

' There is thus disclosed a novel engine starting mechanism possessing considerable practical merit and capable of development of considerable power by the use of relatively few and compactly arranged parts of light weight, and relatively simple construction. There is thus produced a novel meshing device for actuating the engine engaging member of such a starting mechanism which is capable of operation with a degree of rapidity that assures the attainment of a positive and eflicient meshing action between the starter and the member of the engine to be rotated.

It is to be understood, however, that changes may be made in the construction and inter-relation of the parts entering into the embodiment herein disclosed, without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus,'for example, the locking mechanism may take the form of an axially movable detent engageable with a notched member of construction varying from that indicat ed at 114 in the accompanying drawing. Likewise other changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the construction, arrangement, manner of operation and application of the parts, without departing from the limits or scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In engine starting mechanism, in combination, a longitudinally movable engine engaging member, a cranking shaft for imparting rotary movement to said movable member, said cranking shaft beingdisposed in coaxial alignment with said movable member, means for normally maintaining said movable member out of engine engaging position, means extending through said cranking shaft for snapping said movable member into engine engaging position notwithstanding said last named means, said snapping means comprising a rod projecting from said cranking shaft, a spring operable upon said rod. when compressed, and normallv maintained in an unstressed position, and manually operable means for stressing said spring to produce sudden longitudinal movement of said rod and movable member.

movable member,

2. In:engi11e starting mechanism, in combination, a longitudinally movable'engine engaging member, a cranking shaft for imparting a rotary movement to said movable member, said cranking shaft being disposed in coaxial alignment with said movable member, means for normally maintaining said movable member out of engine engaging position, a rod for actuating said movable member, said rod being movable within said cranking shaft and having one end projecting beyond the end of said cranking shaft, a spring operatively connected to said end, means normally supporting said spring in unstressed position, and manually oper able means for stressing said spring to cause sudden movement of said rod and movable member toward engine engaging position.

3. In engine starting mechanism, in combination, a longitudinally movable engine engaging member, a cranking shaft for imparting a rotary movement to said movable member, said cranking shaft being disposed in coaxial alignment with said movable member, means for normally maintaining said movable member out of engine engaging position, a rod for actuating said said rod being movable within said cranking shaft and. having one end projecting beyond the end of said cranking shaft, toothed member operatively associated with said end, a pawl engageable with said toothed member to maintain said rod in retracted position, and manually operable means for releasing said pawl to cause sudden forward movement of said rod and movable member.

4;. In an engine starter, in combination, a. longitudinally movable engine engaging member, an actuating shaft, a rod slidably mounted in said shaft and adapted to actuate said movable member, a spring operatively connected with one end of said rod and operable to snap said rod forward to cause the first named member to move into engine engaging position, and a second spring operatively connected with said first named member to transmit the forward movement of said shaft to said first named member to cause the latter to move into engine engaging position.

5. In an engine starter, in combination, a 1ongitudinally movable engine engaging member, a rod adapted to actuate said movable member, a spring operatively connected to said rod, means for maintaining said rod in non-actuating position comprising a notched member and a pawl engageable with said notched member, a second spring for maintaining said pawl in engagement with said notched member, and manually operable means for releasing said pawl to cause forward movement of said rod and movable member by thetransfer thereto of the energy stored in said spring.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member having splined engagement therewith, a rod passing centrally through said driving and driven members and operative to produce corresponding axial movement of said driving anddriven members in one direction, and means including a pawl operatively associated with said rod for positively preventing axial movement of said driven member in the opposite direction.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member, a rod passing centrally through said driving and driven members and operative to produce corresponding axial movement of said driving and driven members in one. direction, means including a pawl operatively associated with said rod for positively preventing axial movement of said driven member in the opposite direction, and means on said rod operatively engaging both said driving and driven members to transmit axial thrust from one tothe other upon release of said pawl.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member, a rod passing centrally through said driving and driven members and operative to produce corresponding axial movement of said driving and driven members in one direction, means including a pawl operatively associated with said rod forpositively preventing axial movement of said driven member in the opposite direction, and manually operable means for withdrawing said pawl from restraining influence with respect to said rod.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member, a rod passing centrally through said driving and driven members and operative to produce corresponding axial movement of said driving and driven members in one direction, means includ ing a pawl operatively associated with said rod for positively preventing axial movement of said driven member in the opposite direction, means on said rod operatively engaging both said driving and driven members to transmit axial thrust from one to the other upon release of said pawl, and manually operable means for Withdrawing said pawl from restraining influence with respect to said rod.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member, a rod passing centrally through said driving and driven members and operative to produce corresponding axial movement of said driving and driven members in one direction, means including a pawl operatively associated with said rod for positively preventing axial movement thereof, on said rod operatively engaging both said driving and driven members to transmit axial thrust from one to the other upon release of said pawl, manually operable means for withdrawing said pawl from restraining influence with respect to said rod, and a snap action mechanism operative upon release of said pawl to exert an axial thrust on said driving member.

11. In a device of the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member, a

rod passing centrally through said driving anddriven members and operative to produce correspondingaxial movement of said driving and driven members in one direction, means including a pawl operatively associated with said rod for positively preventing axial-movement thereof, a spring surrounding said rod to transmit axial thrust from the driving to the driven member upon release of said pawl, manually operable means for withdrawing said pawl from restraining influence with respect to said rod, and a second spring operative upon release of said pawl to exert an axial thrust on said driv ing member through said rod. 1

12-. In a deviceof the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member, a rod passing centrally through said driving and driven members and operative to produce corresponding axial movement of said driving and driven members in one direction, means including; a pawl operatively associated with said rod for positively preventing axial movement of saiddriven member in the opposite direction, a spring surrounding said rod to transmit axial thrust to the driven member upon release of said pawl, manually operable means for withdrawing said pawl from restraining influence with respect to said rod, and a second spring opposing such withdrawal.

13. In a device of the class described, in combination, a driving member, a driven member, a rod passing centrally through said driving and driven members and operative to produce corresponding axial movement of said driving and driven members in one direction, means including a pawl operatively associated with said rod for positively preventing axial movement of said driven member in the opposite direction, a spring surrounding said rod to transmit axial thrust to the driven member upon release of said pawl, manually operable means for withdrawing said pawl from restraining influence with respect to said rod, a second spring operative upon release of said pawl to exert an axial thrust on said driving member through said rod, and a third spring acting to maintain said pawl normally in a restraining position.

14. In a device of the class described, a driving member, a rotatable and axially movable driven member, a rod slidably mounted to extend through both said driving and driven members and operative to couple said members for corresponding axial movem nt, means operatively connected to said rod to cause axial movement of the driving member in one direction, a shoulder on said rod engaging said driving member to cause movement of the driven member in the opposite direction, and opposing spring means for moving said rod in opposite directions successively.

15. In a device of the class described, a driving member, a rotatable and axially movable driven member, a rod slidably mounted to extend through both said driving and driven members and operative to couple said members for corresponding axial movement, opposing spring means operatively connected to said rod to cause axial movement thereof in opposite directions successively, and means normally locking said rod against such movement.

16. In a device of the class described, a driving member, a rotatable and axially movable driven member, a rod slidably mounted to extend through both said driving and driven members and operative to couple said members for corresponding axial movement in either direction, opposing spring means operatively connected to said rod to cause axial movement thereof in opposite directions successively, and a shoulder on said rod operative to exert an axial thrust upon said driven member through the driving member.

17. In combination with a clutch, an actuating mechanism therefor including a driving shaft,

"a rod slidably mounted in said driving shaft, a

spring operatively connected with one end of said rod and effective to snap said rod forward axially to cause engagement of the clutch, and a second spring operatively connected with said clutch mechanism to transmit the thrust exerted through said rod to said clutch.

JOSEPH W. ALLEN. 

